Toy



Patented Nov. 17, 1931 PATENT" JAMES P. ATKINS, OF SAPULPA, OKLAHOMA TOY Application filed January 2, 1931. Serial No. 506,281.

The present invention relates to toys and the primary object of the invention is to provide a dancing figure toy of novel and simple construction wherein a loose jointed figure is 6 caused to simulate dancing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dancing figure toy embodying a platform adapted to be vibrated in a novel manner so as to strike the feet of a loose jointed figure pendently supported above the p1atform whereby the figure is caused to simulate dancing. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the operating means for the vibratory platform is concealed within a casing in the form of a cabin having a porch, the floor of which provides a dancing platform for the toy figure.

A further object is to provide a device of this character embodying a wind wheel for operating the platform.

A still further object resides in the manner of cushioning the upward movement of the platform so as to eliminate any striking sound being caused by the platform, and further in the manner in which the depressing member is engageable with the platform so as to give the desired movement to the dancing figure.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved toy, showing fragmentary portions broken away for illustrating certain details of construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section similar to Figure 2 but showing the platform in its raised position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing the manner of loosely mounting one end of the platform.

Referring to the drawings in detail and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views, the letter A designates a casing preferably in the form of a cabin embodying front and rear walls 5 and 6 respectively, side Walls 7 and a roof forming cover 8. Proj ecting upwardly from the center of the front wall 5 is an upright extension 9 forming a chimney for the cabin. Extended along each side of the casing below the side walls 7, is a side frame rail 10 and these rails have their forward portions extended beyond the front casing wall 5 and are connected at theirforward ends by a front cross rail 11. These rails 10 and 11 providean open frame forwardly of the front casing wall 5 and form an outline for a porch at the front of the cabin upon which the figure B is arranged to dance.

The figure B may be of difierent forms and in the example shown represents a man having a body 12 to which are pivotally joined the arms 13 and the legs 14. The legs 14: are each formed with pivotally connected sections and at their lower ends are provided with feet 15 1 which are preferably rigidly, joined to the legs. The head 16 of the figure is rigid with the body 12 and has attached to its upper portion a suitable attaching link 17 for connection with a hook 18 formed at the forward end of the horizontal arm portion 19 of an L shaped suspending member having its vertical leg portion 20 secured in the chimney or extension 9. The suspending member may be made from a suitable gage wire, and the arm 19 extends forwardly in a manner to pendently suspend the figure B above the opening formed by the rails 10 and 11 at the front of the easing' wall 5. The link 17 is of such length as to dispose the bottoms of the feet 15 substantially in the horizontal plane with the upper edges of the rails 10.

Arranged for free vertical vibratory movement'in the opening 22 is a dancing platform 23 which forms the floor to the cabin porch and this platform is intended vto strike against the feet 15 of the figure B. Connected at one end to the under side of the platform 23 is a fiat supporting strip 24 which extends rearwardly thru a guide opening 25 formed in the lower end of the me I;

front wall 5 and has its rear end loosely mounted upon a block 26 arranged between the rear ends of the side rails 10. As shown in Figure 4, the rear end of the strip 24 is loosely mounted to the block 26 by means of nails 27 passed thru openings 28 which are substantially larger than the shanks of the nails and thereby permit free vertical swinging of the strip without any binding action.

Vibratory movement may be imparted to the supporting strip or arm 24 in various manners and in the example shown the oper ating means is wind operated and embodies a power shaft 30 extended longitudinally above the strip 24 with its forward end journaled as at 31 in the front casing wall 5 and journaled as at 32 in the rear casing wall 6. The shaft 30 projects beyond the wall 6 and has mounted upon its rear end a suitable wind wheel 33 for imparting rotation to the shaft. The shaft 30 is formed with a crank 34 at a location just behind the front wall 5 and tothis crank is connected the upper end of a plunger rod 35 operating to depress the strip 24. The lower end of the rod 35 is reduced to provide a guide pin 36 having free sliding movement thru an opening 37provided in the strip 24. Encircling the guide pin 36 is a silencing and cushioning washer 38 of rubber, leather or the like which is intended to engage upon the strip 24 during downward movement of the plunger rod. This washer 38 is to relieve shock and eliminate any striking sound being made when the platform strip is depressed. The length of the plunger rod 35 and the throw of the crank 34 is such that the washer 38 is at times retracted from engagement with the platform strip 24 as shown in Figure 3.

Yieldably suspending the platform strip 24 is a. contractile coil spring 40 having its upper end attached to the inner side of the front casing wall 5 as at 41 and having its lower end attached to the strip rearwardly of the guide opening 25. This spring 40 acts to normally return the dancing platform 23 to a horizontal position after being depressed by the plunger rod 35. Extended transversely across the upper side of the platform strip 24 just rearwardly of the spring 40 is a coiled cushioning spring 42 having its ends secured to the side rails 10 at a location whereby when the strip is in its raised position the central portion of the spring will be flexed slightly upward as shown in Figure 3. This spring 42 aside from preventing the platform strip from striking at the upper end of the slot 25, co-acts with the suspending spring 40 to cause the platform to be vibrated with a series of short quick vibrations during the period when the plunger rod is retracted from engagement with the strip so as to give the desired movement whereby the figure B is caused to simulate dancing.

form upwardly against the feet of the figure causing the legs 14 to be flexed at the joints.

At about the time the platform strikes the feet 15, the platform arm 24 contacts with the cushioning spring 42 and the spring is flexed upwardly a small degree which places the spring under tension and causes a slight downward pull to be exerted on the platform arm against the lifting action of the spring 40. This downward pull is resisted by the spring 40 and the arm 24 is only lowered a small degree by the spring 42 before the spring 40 acts to again lift the arm. This vibratory movement of the dancing platform 23 by the springs 40 and 42 continues for a short period of time until the plunger rod 35 again depresses the platform and places the spring 40 under tension to again jerk the platform upwardly.

The toy may either be mounted out in the open so that wind currents act upon the propeller 33, or an electric fan may be placed in a position for directing a current of air against the propeller.

Thus it will be seen that a novel device of this character has been provided which is simple in construction and operation, and embodying a novel arrangement for imparting vibratory movement to the dancing platform.

Changes in detail may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the inve1 1tion or the scope of the following claims.

l claim:

1. A toy of the class described con'iprising a casing, an arm loosely mounted at one end in one end of the casing, a dancing platform carried by the free end of the arm, a loose jointed figure pendently supported above the platform, a coil spring suspending the arm adjacent its free end, a reciprocally movable plunger retractably engageable with the arm for intermittently depressing the arm, and a coil spring extended transversely across the upper side of the arm and engageable thereby when raised by the suspending spring.

2. A toy of the class described comprising a casing, an arm loosely mounted at one end in the casin and having its free end projecting from the casing, a dancing platform car ried by the free end of the arm, a loose jointed figure suspended above the platform, a coil spring suspending the arm adjacent its free end, a coil spring mounted to traverse the upper side of the arm, and operating means for the arm embodying a plunger rod having its lower end reciprocally guided thru the arm and provided with a shoulder engageable with the arm for depressing the arm upon downward movement of the rod, said shoulder upon upward movement of the rod being spaced from the arm, and means for imparting movement to the plunger rod.

3. A toy of the class described comprising a casing, an'arm loosely mounted at one end in the casing and having its free end projecting from the casing, a dancing platform carried by the free end of the arm, a loose jointed figure suspended above the platform, a coil spring suspending the arm adjacent its free end, a coil spring mounted to traverse the upper side of the arm, a shaft journaled in the casing in longitudinal. relation above the arm and provided with a crank, means for rotating the shaft, a rod connected to said crank and having its lower end slidably extended thru the arm, and a cushioning member carried by the rod and engageable with the arm upon downward movement of the rod for depressing the free end of the arm, said cushioning member being retracted from engagement with the arm upon upward movement of the rod.

4. A toy of the class described comprising a casing, an arm loosely mounted at one end in the casing and having its free end projecting from the casing, a dancing platform carried by the free end of the arm, a loose jointed figure suspended above the platform, a coil spring suspending the arm adjacent its free end, a coil spring mounted to traverse the upper side of the arm, a shaft journaled in the casing above the arm and provided with a crank, said shaft having one end projecting from the casing, a Wind wheel fixed to the projecting end of the shaft, a plunger rod connected at its upper end to the crank and having a reduced lower end guided thru the arm and providing a shoulder, and a cushioning washer upon said shoulder and engageable with the arm for depressing the arm upon downward movement of the rod.

5. A device of the class described comprising a cabin shaped casing including front, rear and side walls, an open frame forwardly of the front wall, a dancing platform arranged in the open frame, an arm supporting the platform and extending into the casing thru a guide opening in the front wall, means loosely mounting the rear end of the arm, a loose jointed figure pendently supported above the platform, a coil spring suspending the arm from the inner side of the front wall, a coil spring mounted to extend transversely across the upper side of the arm to be engaged thereby, a shaft j ournaled in the front and rear walls above the arm and having a crank, means for rotating the shaft, and

the rod.

JAMES P. ATKINS. 

